Milking-machine.



A. KLEIN.

MILKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG,3,1913. 1,109,994. Patented sept. 8, 1914.

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V l z5 gnvwdoz ALBERT KLEIN, 0F CODY, WYOMING.

MILKING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

Appiicanon ined December a, iaia. serial No. 804,429.

l,such as will enable others skilled in the'art to which 'it appertains to make laind use the same.

This invention #relates to new and `useful improvements in devices or simultaneously engaging a plurality of the teats of a cow and milking the same.

The object of the present invention resides in the provision of a milking machine which may be readily attached to the teats of a cow and held in such posit-ion whereby the cow may be 'quickly milked without being subjected to any injury or to any annoyance which might cause a voluntary retention of the milk.`

A further object of' v'the invention residesin the provision of .a milking machine of `the class described which mayv be readily and efiicientl operated and whieh'comprises comparatively a minimum number of part-s and may be manufactured at a comparatively low cost.

With these and other objects in view' the inlvention residesl in the novel combination, formation, and arrangement of'parts to be more fullyhereinaftei" described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the claims here to appended. I

Reference is had to vthe accompanying drawings wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is :i top plan view of the inav l i chine, I ig. .l is a side elevational lview thereof, with the cows udder and teats shownv in dotted outline, Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1` and Fig. 4 a perspective iview of one of the teat engag ing! members.

Referringr now more particularly to the acompanyiug drawings, the body. portion of the device is shown as comprising base members 5 and 6, which are adjustably held in spaced relation by an extensible bar comprising the telescoping sections 7 adjustably held against relative movement. VThe Vbase member 5 is provided'ivitha vertical iange portion 8 inwhich is journaled the end of a shaft 9 disposed in, spaced parallel relav ried by the shaft 9 to lock it in relation with the shaft 11. Thus adjustable means are provided for transmitting power from one base member to the other. 'Secured to the end members are suitable -straps 1.3 which are passed around the body of the cow to hold the body portion of the milking machine in position under the udder.

The teat engaging portions of the machine include extensible arni portions 14 rigidly secu red to and extending laterally from each of the base members. To the free -end of each arm 14' is rigidly secured a lvertical plate 15 havingr 'its upper end inwardly curved at 16 to correspond with theicurve o^|`A the udder. A leaf spring,r 17 dependsk from the free end portion of each plate 15 and has pivotally secured thereto "la rod 18 carry/infr the fork 19 which straddles ,the vertical plate and has the free ends of its arms pivotally secured to the upper end of a teal. pressing plate 20. The teat is adaptedpto he disposed between (he .plaies A15 and 20 and compressed therebetween upon nieve,-

inent IAon the latter plates inwardly, the teats being pro'teried b v suitable cushions 21 on the inner lares of the plates.

To reeiprorate the plates 20 upon movenient of the shafts, stub shafts 22 are journaled in the tlangfeportions 8 and l() and are driven by the shafts 9 and 11 through the medium of iutermeshing;r gears 23 and extendingv outwardly from all of the `gear wheels except the one carried by the -shaft 9, from poinis adjaeenttheir peripherie-s are pins 23', (to which are pivotally secured tensible rods 24 each terminating in a yoke Q5 straddling' Aa pair of plates 15"'and 20 and pivotallypassed through lugs 24' on the latter plate. The. free ends of the yoke terminate in heads 2 and expansile springs 2G aril coiled on the fork between the lugs 24 and heads 25. As the shaft 9 is necessai-ily extended on cach side of its gear wheel 23, in lieu of the -pin 23', a cam 23 is provided on said Wheel and the usual rod 24 is secured thereto by a sttap 23". The leaf 'posed in a hollow portion of the free end ,of the shaft 9, a'thumb-screw 1,2 being carsprings 17 are extended below the rods 18 and the rods 24 carry adjacent thereto upstanding lugs 27.

The operation of each teat engaging member is as follows: "he spring 17 normally through the medium t the rod 18 holds the upper end of the plate iwardly to clamp the neck of the teat to prevent milk flowing therethrough. When the rod 24 is pushed outwardly, the lug 2T engages the bottom portion of the spring and thus forces the top portion of the plate 2() outwardly. When the rod 24 has' reached its outward limit of movement, the spring 17 slips over the top of the lug and springs back to-its normal position to clamp the teat. As the rod 24 is drawn backwardly it thus draws the lower portion of the plateinwardly to press the milk outwardly of the teat. As the rod 24 reaches its inward limit of motion, this lug passes undery the end of the spring and thus moves into position to engage the spring andA force it outwardlyas above described to release the clamping engagement of the teat and thus eontmu'e the milkin v operation. The milk is conveyed to a suitab e receptacle through tubes 28 having at their upper-ends flared months 29 secured to the lower ends of the vertical platesil. A

For imparting energy to the machine, the shaft 9 is extended and has secured to said extended end a gear wheel 30 meshing with a gear wheel 81 carried by a stub shaft 32 journaled in an upstanding lug 33 on the base member 5. A stake 34 or other suitable support is provided and has a stub shaft 35 journally carried thereby and terminating in a crank arm 3G. A flexible power shaft 37 connects the stub shafts 32 and It will be of course understood that any other suitable power mechanism may be provided and that various other changes and modifications within the scope of the appended claims may be made without in any manner departing from the spirit of the invention. j

lt is Seen from the foregoing description that a very simple and efficient machine has been provided which may be readily open ated without injuring the cow.

That is claimed is:

1. A milkinur machine comprising a base portion, a shaft journaled on said base portion. journaled stub shafts adjacent each end of the first shaft having geared connection therewith, teat engaging members extending from the base portion and each comprising a stationary and a reciprocable member and connections between the reciproeable members and the shafts for actuating said members upon rotation of the shafts.

2. A milking machine comprising base members, an extensible bar connecting said members, a shaft comprising two sections having their adjacent ends adjustably connected and each journaled on a base member, stub shafts journaled 011 the base members, intermeshing gear wheels between the stub shafts and the main shafts, teat engaging members held in adjustable spaced relation to the base members, said teat engaging members including reciprocable elements and extensible rods engaging said elements and having connections with the said gear wheels whereby rotation thereof will reciprocate the rods.

3. In a milking machine, a teat engaging member comprising a supporting element, a stationary vertical plate secured thereto, a second plate reeiprocable with relation to the first plate and pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends, means for moving the upper portions of the second plate mwardly, means for resiliently urging the lower portion of the plate inwardly and means tending to resiliently urge the second plates outwardly. v

4. In a milking machine, a teat engaging member comprising a supporting element, a stationary vertical plate secured thereto and having its upper portion inwardlydirected, a leaf spring depending from said upper portion, a. reciprocable pla a member pivotally connected to the upp 1" end of the reciprocable plate and to the `ower portion of the leaf spring, a reciprocab e actuating lbar terminating in a yoke straddling the vertical bar and slidably passed through the inter mediate side portions of the reciproeable bar, heads at the free ends of said yoke and springs disposed between said heads and the reciprocable plate.

In testimony whereof, I ailx my' signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT KLEIN.

\Vitnesses:

C. L. BRADY, H. lo'roH. 

